Most Valuable, Most Feared

Our readers have spoken – Lawrence Taylor is the most feared linebacker ever to play the game.

But not by much.

We asked our readers in the last Talk of Fame Network poll to pick the linebacker who instilled the most fear in offenses. We gave them four options representing four different decades — Dick Butkus from the 1960s, Jack Lambert the 1970s, Taylor the 1980s and Ray Lewis the 2000s.

Taylor won by the slimmest of margins over Butkus, garnering 39.7 percent of the vote compared to 38.7 for Butkus. Just three total votes separated the two Hall of Famers. Lewis and Lambert were distant finishers.

Your three hosts of the Talk of Fame Network — Ron Borges, Rick Gosselin and Clark Judge — disagreed with the result. All cast ballots for Butkus.

“There’s never been a better name for a linebacker,” Borges said. “Butkus even sounds like a collision. He was a playmaker and the most feared linebacker of all time despite getting no where near the help LT had with the Giants. He would have played every down in today’s game, just as he did in his day, and he’d have terrorized offenses.”

All four linebackers were selected to NFL all-decade teams. Butkus and Lambert were chosen to two all-decade teams apiece, however, and Taylor and Lewis only one. But Taylor is the only linebacker in NFL history named the league’s MVP and Lewis was a Super Bowl MVP.

“Butkus was a big player (6-3, 245) in an era of small players,” Gosselin said. “The centers and guards back then weighed in the 250-260-pound range. Butkus threw around blockers, runners, quarterbacks and receivers. He probably threw around his own teammates in the pre-game. He was nasty. He punished you for daring to play the game against him.”

Taylor became the NFL’s prototypical edge rusher as sacks were becoming an official statistic in the 1980s. He had seven consecutive double-digit sack seasons from 1984-90, including 20 ½ in 1986 to power the Giants to their first Lombardi Trophy. He added 10 ½ sacks in 1990 in New York’s second Super Bowl season.

*Photo courtesy of the New York Giants

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Rick Gosselin

Rick Gosselin has covered the NFL for 44 years, including stints reporting on the Lions, Giants, Chiefs and Cowboys. He has been a Pro Football Hall of Fame voter since the 1980s and won the Dick McCann Award in 2004 for “long and distinguished reporting on professional football.”

I lean Schmidt from the 50’s but George is close. Different kinds of players as an converted 52 MG versus a converted 52 LLB. Schmidt’s speed in his early years jumps out, but George seemed most stout at the point of attack – he has that awesome move where he holds a RB up and then strips the ball out with his free hand, don’t think anyone could do that today if they tried.

Butkus was a one-man wrecking crew. 22 INTs, 27 FR in just nine seasons. Went to Pro Bowl each of his first eight seasons before a knee injury in his ninth year ended both his Pro Bowl run and his career. A two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, an all-decade pick for both the 1960s and 1970s and a member of the NFL’s 75th anniversary team. This was a special, special player.

I understand but having seen them both I can tell you people were paralyzed with the fear Butkus was going to dislodge their head from their shoulders. Both impactful players who changed games. It’s the kind of debate that can go on forever, which is what makes it fun. I know this Ed, if you tell me I’m “stuck” with the No. 2 guy, in this case Butkus, I’d be fine with that.

One of the reasons I voted for Jack Lambert was because of his infectious smile. I would have loved to seen Butkus play though. The NFL Football Film Footage of his exploding collisions with players was incredible.

This Weeks Poll Question

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Whenever a notable player reaches or nears retirement, the first questions asked is, “Is he a first-ballot Hall of Famer?”
Well, we have the answer. That’s because our weekly radio program is hosted by three long-time NFL writers: Clark Judge, Ron Borges and Rick Gosselin are three of the 48 selectors for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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